F.P. Report
CHAKWAL: Polling started in the by-election of PP-20 constituency Chakwal on Tuesday (today) which was left vacant after the death of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Liaquat Ali Khan.
Liaquat’s son Haider Sultan Ali contesting on the ticket of PML-N and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) fielded Raja Tariq Afzal for the by-election.
The by-election is a test for the ruling party as the constituency has long been a PML-N stronghold and it will set the voters tone for the coming general election this year.
Haider Sultan’s family has held the PP-20 seat since 1985, losing it only once in the 2002 elections. Meanwhile, PTI’s Afzal is contesting an MPA seat for the first time but he is supported by the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Awami Tehreek.
The constituency’s 279,530 voters will exercise their right to cast the ballot till 5pm, for which 227 polling stations have been set up.
Rangers and police have been deployed at the polling stations to ensure security.